


Jarchie in love.

by rayjey



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Archie Andrews Being an Idiot, Archie Andrews Needs a Hug, Asexual Jughead Jones, Asexuality, Attempt at Humor, Boys Kissing, Crying, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I Ship It, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Jarchie - Freeform, M/M, No Sex, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Riverdale (TV) Season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26254582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rayjey/pseuds/rayjey
Summary: "you're my best friend"6 year old Jughead tells him.They're swinging, hands together.Jughead is Smiling wide, Archie can see his eyes under his hat.There is a gap where jugheads teeth are missing.The sun shines in his eyes and Jughead hands are warm.Archie smiles, his teeth missing the same places as jughead.“you're my best friend too”.The feeling of warmth and love for his best friends haven't changed.Everything with Jughead was good.Sunshine, laughter and candy.With Jughead it doesn't matter that his dad is always tired.That he forgets to make breakfast most days.That his mom isn't here, everything is great with Jughead.Archie Andrews relationship with love.But mostly an excuse to write Jarchie fluff.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Jughead Jones
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	Jarchie in love.

**Author's Note:**

> This has a discussion of rape (not explicit).  
> So if this is any way triggers you don't read this fic.

If you asked Archie Andrew's when he was five what he loved it would come easy.  
Chocolate  
His dad  
Music  
Football and Jug.  
Jug is my best friend, his name is Jughead but none calls him that.  
He would tell you.  
I love him very much, and we're gonna be best friends forever.  
Back then it was easy.  
That was before his mom left.  
“I still love you, archiekins”  
She had said, kissed him on the cheek.  
But if she loved him why did she leave?

Archie I love you Betty says.  
Her eyes sparkled with hope.

They are 15 laying in Archie bed having a sleepover.

“I love you” 

Archie says.  
Jughead smiles. 

“I love you too”

They are going on a road trip this summer.  
Just the two of them, alone.  
Every moment with Jughead feels amazing.  
Maybe Archie is in love, he doesn't know.  
Archie doest know anything anymore.  
But being with Jughead makes him feel warm and fuzzy.

Then Mrs Grundy happens.  
He doesn't want to not really.  
But she smiles at him, he should want her.  
She is pretty and she likes him.  
But everything about her touch is wrong.  
When she kisses him, soft her lips chapped.  
It feels wrong.  
Her hands-on his body isn't right.  
Get off me he wants to tell her to make her go away but he does anything.  
Her hands are all over his body.  
Stop he wants to say, stop I don't wanna.  
But he still says nothing.  
Not a word leaves his lips.

When he went to bed that night, he cried into his pillow because he should want her.  
He wants to tell his dad, call Jughead, but he doesn't.  
Instead, he lays on his bed all night unable to sleep.

It happens again and again.  
Every time feels just as wrong as the first.  
He tried to enjoy it, to feel pleasure from it but he doesn't not really.  
She feels wrong, soft but not gentle.  
I don't want to, he thinks.  
They are in the music room, her hands on his hips.  
She stares at him, nails red digging into him.  
His hands are shaking now fist clenching.  
Stop he thinks.  
She doesn't.  
“I love you”  
she whispers into his ear, laying on top of him.  
Her voice is soft and gentle so fucking wrong.  
“I love you”  
She says again.  
Archie doesn't cry that night, all of his tears dried away.  
Instead, he is there holding his phone onto his chest almost calling Jughead.

He has been avoiding Jughead.  
They don't hang out that whole summer.  
It hurts too much looking at him, his face, his stupid hat and smile.  
He knows if he sees him, it will all fall apart.  
They still have the road trip, but then Mrs Grundy calls.  
He doesn't wanna, he really really doesn't wanna.  
Jughead calls and calls.  
He sends 13 texts.  
there's a picnic, there's a gunshot.

It falls even more apart.

"you're my best friend"  
6-year-old Jughead tells him.  
They're swinging, hands together.  
Jughead is Smiling wide, Archie can see his eyes under his hat.  
There is a gap where jugheads teeth are missing.  
The sun shines in his eyes and Jughead hands are warm.  
Archie smiles, his teeth missing the same places as jughead.

“you're my best friend too”.  
The feeling of warmth and love for his best friends haven't changed.  
Everything with Jughead was good.  
Sunshine, laughter and candy.

With Jughead it doesn't matter that his dad is always tired.  
That he forgets to make breakfast most days.  
That his mom isn't here, everything is great with Jughead.

He doesn't talk to Jughead.  
Every day is painful, without Jughead, there's no one he can trust.  
His dad isn't really there anymore.  
He's there but not really, they don't talk.

He meets Veronica.  
“you can call me Ronnie”  
She says, way too happy.  
She kisses him, soft and sweet.  
Maybe he should feel something, anything.

I think I'm in love with you.  
Betty says, her hands on his shoulders.  
She is smiling nervously, her cheeks pink.  
And all Archie can think of is Mrs Grundy.  
Her hands in his hair on his body.  
He can't look at anyone, anymore not really.

“I love you”  
she whispers, he stares at Betty.  
Her pretty face full of hope, he breaks her heart he can see it in her eyes.  
“I don't understand”, she says.  
“I love you Archie”.  
He runs, he's a coward.  
He doesn't even have Jughead anymore.  
Archie should love Betty, she's perfect in all the ways she's supposed to be.  
But the way she looks at him reminds him of Mrs grundy.  
He is not sure what love is anymore.

He goes to pops.  
He's spent so many nights there.  
It was his safe place when his mom and dad fought.  
When everything was horrible.  
Maybe just maybe he's hoping that the diner will help.  
Bring some miracle.

Instead it brings Jughead.  
It's almost better.  
He's sitting at a table with his laptop open.  
He writing Archie can see.  
It's so good to see him, the tears in Archie's eyes fall again.

He knew what he must look like.  
His prom suit ruined, his hair in all sorts of directions.  
The tears on his face.  
Jughead doesn't look much better.

“Can I sit jughead?”

He asks and it's the first words they've spoken all summer.  
It feels awful he's never called him anything else then jug.

“if you must”  
He says and it's horrible.  
He sits.

“what are you working on?”  
He says.  
“my novel, it's about this summer and Jason Blossom”  
He says his voice is hard, nothing like it's supposed to be.

“I'm kinda terrified I lost my best friend”  
He says, finally the words coming out of his mouth.

“if you mean Betty? whatever happened just talk to her”  
Jughead says, his eyes small in his head.  
Archie Knows he really hurt Betty.  
“it would have gone a long way with me”  
Jughead says.

“I'm sorry, Jug”  
He says, trying to pour all of the guilt into his words.  
“whatever man”  
Jughead says he can be cold when he wants to close off.  
But Archie has never been on this side of Jughead.  
But he should talk to Betty.

“I'm not gonna ask what you did with Veronica at Cheryls”  
She says, her eyes wet.  
“But I'm asking you right now, do you love me, Archie?”  
She says, and Archie hates it, hates that he can't give her what she wants.  
“Why?”  
She says and he doesn't know why he doesn't know anything.

She walks away.  
Her heels make sounds as she walks.

They find Jason's body and Archie feels like dying.  
He knows it wasn't fireworks, he knows.  
He talks to her, he should just tell the police.  
But she still helps him, he owes this to her.

“this is not a negotiation archie”  
Her fists are clenched.  
Her standing inside her house at night.  
Shirtless drenched in sweat.  
“This is my life, if anyone knows were there, I could lose my job”  
There it is again I.

“I dont wanna do this anymore”  
He tells her, the words stumbling over his lips.  
“do what Archie”  
“this us”  
He points in between them.  
“were done”  
He says, then he runs out of the door.

The“archie come back”  
Lost on him, when he gets home he lays on his bead.  
Maybe he loved her?, he doesn't know.  
he's exhausted, done.

Alive.

He doesn't sleep.  
“I still want us to be friends, best friends”  
Betty says.  
It's Morning, Jason is dead and Archie knows something.  
It hurts because Betty is a great friend but she was never his best friend.  
He doesn't tell her that, he just nods and smiles.  
“I want that too”  
Then she runs.  
“don't tell my mom that we're friends again”  
She yells above her shoulder.

“hey, do you think I can use Jason blossoms dead as an excuse to get out of PE?”  
“sorry coach I'm just too depressed and freaked out to do pull-ups”  
“don't joke about that”  
Archie says, but he knows this is just Jughead's way of dealing with things.  
Jellybean his mom.  
It's what Jughead is, fear and anger under his snarky comments and edgy humour.

They're eating cereal.  
“my moms leaving, with Jellybean”  
Jughead says.  
Jughead has cinnamon crunch.  
He's the only person Archie has ever met that eats cinnamon crunch.  
He always has at least one box in the kitchen for Jughead.  
Archie spits out his mouth full of cereal.  
“what”  
he says.  
“to Toledo”  
Jughead says and his eyes are covered with his hat.  
There's milk on his face, but he doesn't wipe it away.  
“I'm so sorry Juggy”  
Archie says, because what else is there to say?  
I'm sorry that your sister, who you love above everything in the world.  
Your mom is leaving?  
What do you say?.  
He doesn't know.

“it's okay, Toledo is nasty anyway”  
Jughead says, his voice is so small.

Archie looks at his friend's pale face.  
Jughead's nose almost touches the milk.  
‘“when are they leaving”  
He asks instead.  
“tomorrow”  
Jughead's voice is a whisper.

Archie thinks about what Jughead did when his mom left.  
He takes his hand on the table and squeezes it.  
Jughead's hand is cold, it's holding on so hard.  
“Juggy I'm sorry, okay”  
He says and Jughead nods.  
“Can you just hug me please?”  
Jughead's voice is so vulnerable and small.  
Archie wants to cry because it isn't fair, Jughead is amazing.  
He wants to tell him he loves him, that he can stay with him.  
But he doesn't.

He just wraps his arms around Jughead's small frame.  
Clutching him into his chest, while sobs overthrow him.  
His shirt gets wet, but it's okay.  
“its okay, Juggy”  
He says it's not, he just rubs small circles on Jugheads head.

She drags him into the music room after lunch.  
Mrs Grundy, her fingers digging into his skin.  
“Wetherby just asked me if I knew anything about Jason”  
She says.  
Her eyes are wide and panicked.  
“what did you say?”  
He is still not comfortable with her in the room.  
“Nothing I didn't say anything but why would he ask me?”  
“I don't know I'm sorry I gotta go”  
She held onto his arm.  
He tries to let go but she drags him down and kisses him.  
Just a peck but he still feels horrible.  
He pulls away, pushing her away from him.  
“why do you do that? don't you want us to be together?”  
“stop”  
He says, then he runs.

he doesn't get why it's not working for him?  
She is pretty, she wants him, why doesn't he?

Jugheads outside the door.  
Archie is so happy to see him, he doesn't care that he was spying on him.  
“jug”  
He says dragging him down the hallway.  
Most people are outside so Archie drags them into the empty classroom.

“what the hell was that?”  
Jughead asks, and Archie doesn't know what to say.

“Mrs Grundy, she she, we we been having sex”  
He says, his face is warm.

“how long?”  
Jughead's voice is soft, easy.  
But it's still shaking.  
“all summer”  
He says.  
“I don't like her”  
He added, not looking into Jugheads eyes.

“we were at sweetwater river on July fourth, we heard the gunshot”  
He says and it's such a relief.

“Wetherby asked her questions and she told me, then she kissed me”  
“Is this why you've been avoiding me?”  
His voice is soft and cold.  
“yes, and I am so sorry Juggy”  
“you've been missing my calls for weeks so you could do it with the teacher?”  
Jughead isn't yelling but his tone makes Archie feel like he's been slapped.

“I didn't mean to Juggy, we are broken up, I mean I'm not sure we were really dating”  
He's rambling, he knows this.  
“then why did she kiss you?”  
He doesn't have and answer, maybe he does?

He punches Reggie.  
Maybe it's because he's had a shitty day.  
That's his excuse, but really he just wants to punch someone.  
It's because he's saying all of these horrible things to Jughead.  
Things that he would never have let face him before but now, makes him feel things.  
Maybe Archie feels like protecting Jughead is the only thing that is right.  
It's a thing he's always done.  
He doesn't know, he doesn't regret it either.

Ii didn't mean any of the crap I said to you”  
He tells him, and it's not enough.  
“I'm sorry”  
He says and there's so much more, so much more to say.  
“It's cool”  
Jughead says and he's always been too forgiving.  
“We're not gonna hug in front of this whole town”  
Jughead says he's smiling.  
Archie doesn't care, he scoops Jughead into a big hug.  
His stupid best friend, he was so stupid to ever let anything come between them.

“But you're still my best friend right?”  
He asks because he's pretty sure he is.  
“to be discussed, over many burgers and many days”  
Jughead says, and Archie can't stop smiling.

They meet Betty and Veronica at pops.  
It's nice, and at that moment he forgets.  
Forgets, Mrs Grundy.

Forgets that he doesn't want to play football.

In that afternoon.  
That night, he just lives.  
His cheeks hurt from smiling.

It's the best day he has ever had.  
His chest flutters whenever he looks at Jughead.  
Sees his smile.  
They are not back again, it's not the same but it's a start.

His dad invites Mrs Grundy for dinner.  
They eat at pops, and he can feel Betty and Jugheads eyes in his neck.  
The conversation is stiff and proper.  
Nothing he says is real.  
Archie just nods and MMS.

“can we talk? outside”  
Bettys says something about the way she says it makes Archie's stomach turn on its head.  
“Mrs Grundy was at sweetwater river on July fourth”  
She says, her eyes stone cold.  
“were you with her?”  
He nods because what is he supposed to do?  
“are you and Mrs Grundy together like romantically?”  
He can feel the disgust in her voice.

He opens his mouth and then.  
“omg, are you having an affair with your music teacher”  
Veronica says, and her eyes sparkle.  
She is smiling like it's a small thing like it is gossip.

“were not together”  
He says his voice hard.  
“not anymore, we were together on fourth of July, but I told the police everything I saw”  
“and I don't like you snooping around in my life Betty”

“I don't get you,'' she says.  
Veronica is just smiling.  
Archie is having the worst afternoon he has had in a long time.  
“you're in deep water Archiekins”  
She says.

Betty's trying to talk to him about Mrs Grundy but he doesn't want to.  
Every time he sees her at school, his whole body feels wrong.  
He skips music Monday morning in favour of doing his math homework.  
I'm not trying to avoid her, this math is just really important.  
He keeps trying to tell himself that.

Mrs Grundy leaves and maybe he's happy he doesn't really know.  
He still hasn't told his dad, what is he supposed to do?

He throws himself into football.  
Morning runs, night workout.  
He works and works so his mind is crowded with football.  
All-day long it's football.  
But still laying in bed he thinks of her.  
The way she told him she loved him.  
The way she made him feel wrong and uncomfortable.

He doest write music anymore.  
Having Grundy in his life was wrong, but without her is also wrong.  
It's like he can't get away from her even if she is gone.

He gonna perform.  
Maybe it's because music is the only thing he's ever really been passionate about.  
Or maybe it's because he's always performed for Mrs Grundy.  
But he is nervous, his hands are clammy, and his legs shaking.

But as his eyes find Jughead in the crowd he gets it.  
The song is easy, a song about love.  
Jughead's presence makes it all easy.  
It's a song he's never sung, it's a song for Jughead.  
The words flow through him with the music.  
“you were great”  
Jugheads says, and Archie can't stop smiling.

Jugheads have been sleeping in the school.  
Jugheads have been sleeping in the school.  
Jugheads homeless and sleeping in the school.  
Arche hadn't noticed he was wrapped up in his own problems.  
Live with me, come live with me.  
That's all that going through his head.

Jugheads sleeping on the floor.  
It feels wrong, him on the floor.  
They have always shared a bed, even last year.  
But now Jugheads, on the floor.  
He feels further away than he has ever been.

Archie wakes up in the middle of the night to the sound of crying.  
“Juggy”  
Jughead doesn't answer, but the sobs silence.  
He exists his bed, sitting down next to Jughead.  
Moonlight from the window is lighting on Jughead.  
His tears are bright on his skin.  
Rolling down his cheeks, sobs still submerging him.  
Archie hates himself for not being there for Jughead.  
He wraps his arms around the sobbing boy.  
It's always been easy hugging with Jughead, but this isn't easy.

There's a lot of silence while Jughead is still crying.  
“are you okay?”  
He finally asks, when Jugheads stopped crying.  
“Do I sound like I'm okay Archie?”  
No, he doesn't.  
Archie sits up, his arms still around Jughead's shoulder.

“do you want to talk about it?”  
“no”  
Jughead says.  
But then he says.  
“I just don't know what to do anymore”  
“Yeah, me to Juggy”

A wired little snort comes from Jughead.  
“aren't you supposed to help me?”

“who told you that?”  
Archie is laughing too.  
“But I think we're gonna figure it out together”  
He says.  
“aww now you've ruined it”  
Jughead says but he's also smiling.

“I'm really sorry about leaving you Jug”  
“you are forgiven”  
He says, then he lays down.

It's not okay and it hurts.  
But Jugheads lays himself down next to him.  
He's already said but he says it again.

“i'm sorry, jug”  
But jugheads is already sleeping.

Then it gets easier.  
It's not great but it's easier.

He still thinks about Mrs Grundy, still doesn't write music.  
But He and Jughead are friends again.  
They hang out in the morning, in school and after school.

There are days where they don't speak.  
They just sit, Jughead writing Archie doing school work.  
But the two of them together feels right.

Jugheads laughing, milkshake on his nose.  
He looks beautiful and oh, Archie is in love.

It's not that surprising him, not really.  
Jughead had always been different.  
It feels nothing like how he feels with Veronica, Betty or anyone else.

“I think I'm in love with you”  
Archie says they are eating cereals.  
(Jughead is having cinnamon crunch which is just..).  
Maybe it's not the right moment to say it.  
But he hates secrets, hates the feeling of not telling Jughead everything.

Jughead almost chokes on his milk.  
“I'm sorry what did you say?”  
Archie can feel his cheeks heating.  
“I think I'm in love with you”

“oh”  
Jughead says.  
“I'm sorry i shouldt have”  
Archie begins to say but Jughead moves forwards.  
His mouth crashes with Archies.  
It's not a great kiss, their noses bump together, and it's messy.  
But they don't stop and Archies hands find jugheads hair.

It's incredibly soft.

When they finally pull apart gasping for breath they're both smiling.  
“I love you know that?”  
Jughead says and Archie keeps smiling.

Until his dad walks into the room, takes a look at their faces then he turns around.  
“I'm just gonna go”  
He says red creeping into his face.

Archie looks at Jughead, his shocked face and begins laughing.

“you wanna be my boyfriend Jughead Jones the third?”  
he says holding out his hand.  
“Sure Archibald Andrews”  
He says, taking Archie's hand.  
That's that.

They do the same things they did before they are still best friends.  
Know there's just more kissing and holding hands.  
They don't have sex and Archie is okay with that.

That's the start, or maybe it's the middle, maybe it all began 11 years ago when Jughead and Archie first met.  
Archie doesn't know but he doesn't care.  
He happy.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you like it, I'm not sure I did.  
> Kudos and comments are appreciated.


End file.
